Miniature rose plant named ‘POULhi020’

ABSTRACT

A new miniature rose plant which has abundant, apricot flowers and attractive foliage. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for year round production in commercial glasshouses. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation.

Botanical classification: Rosa hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘POULhi020’.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present discovery constitutes a new and distinct variety of aminiature pot rose plant which was discovered in a cultivated area. Themutation resulted from a plant named ‘POULhi008’, a miniature pot rosehybridized by the same inventors. ‘POULhi008’ is described andillustrated in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/267,939, anddated Oct. 8, 2002. The new rose variety resulted from a naturallyoccurring mutation of unknown causation on a branch of ‘POULhi008’.

The rose plant of the present discovery has a unique combination ofcharacteristics which are outstanding in the new variety and whichdistinguish it from the original rose ‘POULhi008’ as well as all othervarieties which we are aware of. For example, the new variety has:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant light apricot flowers;    -   2. Vigorous and compact growth;    -   3. Year-round flowering under glasshouse conditions;    -   4. Suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots;    -   5. Durable flowers and foliage which make a variety suitable for        distribution in the floral industry.

This combination of qualities is not present in previously availablecommercial cultivars of this type and distinguish ‘POULhi020’ from allother varieties of which we are aware.

The resulting mutation was selected and evaluations were conducted onthe resulting rose plants in a controlled environment.

Asexual reproduction of ‘POULhi020’ by cuttings and traditional buddingwas first done by L. Pernille and Mogens N. Olesen in their nursery inFredensborg, Denmark in 1998. This initial and other subsequentpropagations conducted in controlled environments have demonstrated thatthe characteristics of ‘POULhi020’ are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustration shows as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type, the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems of ‘POULhi020’.Specifically illustrated in the drawing:

FIG. 1.1; Open flower, and stem showing attachment of leaves, peduncle,and side view of open flower;

FIG. 1.2; Flower bud at various stages of opening;

FIG. 1.3; Sepals, receptacle, and pedicel;

FIG. 1.4; Flower petals, detached;

FIG. 1.5; Leaves;

FIG. 1.6; Bare stem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a description of ‘POULhi020’, as observed in its growthin glasshouses in Fredensborg, Denmark. Observed plants are 3 months ofage, and were cultivated in 12 cm pots. Color references are made usingThe Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 1995,except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the rose variety‘POULavon’, a rose variety from the same inventors described andillustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,082 issued on Oct. 28, 1997, arecompared to ‘POULhi020’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘POULhi020’ ‘POULavon’ Petal Count 61 30 to 35 Flower Color:White Group 155 B at Red Group 36D General the circumference to TonalityOrange Group 27 B towards the center. Lastingness more than 28 days 7 to8 days

FLOWER AND FLOWER BUD

-   Blooming habit: Continuous.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—Upon opening, 12 mm in diameter by 20 mm in length            from base of receptacle to end of bud.        -   Bud form.—Globular.        -   Bud color.—As sepals unfold, petals are Yellow-White Group            158D.        -   Sepals.—Upper surface: Color: Yellow-Green Group 147A.            Surface: Moderately pubescent. Lower surface: Color:            Yellow-Green Group 146A. Shape: Sepal apex is cirrhose. Base            is flat at union with receptacle. Margins: Medium foliaceous            appendages on three of the five sepals. Stipitate glands            observed in medium quantity. Size: 37 mm (l)×7 mm (w).        -   Receptacle.—Surface texture: Smooth. Shape: Funnel shaped.            Size: 8 mm (h)×10 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B.        -   Peduncle.—Surface: Somewhat smooth. Stipitate glands            observed in medium quantity. Length: 25 mm average length.            Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B. Strength: Strong.        -   Borne.—Singularly.-   Flower bloom:    -   -   Fragrance.—Moderate rose scent.        -   Duration.—The blooms have a duration on the plant of            approximately 28 days. Afterwards petals fall cleanly away            from plant.        -   Size.—Medium for a 12 cm pot rose. Average flower diameter            is 65 mm when open. Average flower depth is 25 mm.        -   Form.—General shape is characterized as an open cup with the            outer petals slightly overlapping.        -   Shape of flower when viewed from the side.—Upon opening,            upper part: Flattened Convex. Upon opening, lower part:            Flattened Convex. Open flower, upper part: Flattened            Concave. Open flower, lower part: Flattened Concave.        -   Petalage.—61 petals under normal conditions with 21            petaloids.-   Color:    -   -   Upon opening, petals.—Outermost petals: Outer side: White            Group 155B to Yellow-White Group 158D. Inner side: White            Group 155B to Yellow-White Group 158D. Innermost petals:            Outer side: Yellow-White Group 158D to Orange Group 27D.            Inner side: Yellow-White Group 158D to Orange Group 27D.        -   Upon opening, basal petal spots.—Outermost petals: Outer            side: Yellow-Green Group 150D. Inner side: Yellow-Green            Group 150D. Innermost petals: Outer side: Yellow Group 11D.            Inner side: Yellow Group 11D to 12D.        -   After opening, petals.—Outermost petals: Outer side:            Yellow-White Group 158D to White Group 155B. Occasional            intonations of Red-Purple Group 68A. Inner side: White Group            155B. Innermost petals: Outer side: Yellow-White Group 158D            to Orange Group 27D. Vertical streaks of Red-Purple Group            73A. Inner side: Yellow-White Group 158D to Orange Group            27D.        -   After opening, basal petal spots.—Outermost petals: Outer            side: Yellow-Green Group 150D to Green-White Group 157D.            Inner side: Yellow-Green Group 150D to Green-White Group            157D. Innermost petals: Outer side: Yellow-Green Group 150D.            Inner side: Yellow-Green Group 150D.-   General tonality: White Group 155B at the circumference. Orange    Group 27B towards the center.-   Petals:    -   -   Petal reflex.—Outer petals reflex slightly.        -   Petal margin.—Entire. Weak undulations of margin.        -   Shape.—Generally round. Base shape varies from round to            acute. Apex shape is round.        -   Size.—30 mm (l)×30 mm (w).        -   Thickness.—Average.        -   Arrangement.—Not formal.-   Petaloids:    -   -   Quantity.—20 to 30.        -   Size.—11 mm (l)×9 mm (w).        -   Shape.—Irregular, elliptical and oval with elongate acute            base.        -   Color.—Upper surface: Orange Group 27D. Lower surface:            Orange Group 27D to Yellow-White Group 158A.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistils.—Length: 5 mm long. Quantity: 37 (actual count).        -   Pollen.—None observed.        -   Anthers.—Color: Greyed-Orange Group 163B. Quantity: 43            (actual count).        -   Filaments.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 150D to Yellow Group            4D. Length: 6 mm.        -   Stigmas.—Inferior relative to the length of the filaments            and height of the anthers. Color: Yellow-Green Group 150D.        -   Styles.—Color: Yellow-Green Group 150D.        -   Seed formation.—No hips observed.

PLANT

-   Plant growth: Vigorous and compact. When grown as a 12 cm pot plant,    the average height of the plant itself is 23 cm and the average    width is 14 cm.-   Stems:    -   -   Color.—Young wood: Yellow-Green Group 144A. Older wood:            Yellow-Green Group 144A.        -   Internodal distance.—20 mm (average).        -   Length of stems.—15 cm from flower to first branch. Stem            diameter is 2.5 mm.        -   Surface texture.—Young wood: Smooth. Older wood: Smooth.-   Thorns:    -   -   Incidence.—0 mm per 10 cm of stem.-   Plant foliage: Normal number of leaflets on normal leaves in middle    of the stem: 5 leaflets.    -   -   Compound leaf size.—98 mm (l)×80 mm (w).        -   Quantity.—5 leaves per 10 cm of stem.        -   Color.—Mature foliage: Upper leaf surface: Green Group 137A.            Lower leaf surface: Yellow-Green Group 147C.-   Plant leaves and leaflets:    -   -   Stipules.—Size: 6 mm in length. Margins: Finely serrated            with medium quantity of stipitate glands.        -   Petiole.—Length: 15 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B.            Observations: Prickles located on the underside of the            petiole. Stipitate glands observed.        -   Rachis.—Size: 31 mm. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144B.            Underneath: Small prickles and medium quantity of stipitate            glands observed.        -   Leaflet.—Size: 50 mm (l)×31 mm (w). Edge: Serrated. General            shape: Elliptical. Apex shape: Acute. Base shape: Round.            Texture: Smooth. Arrangement: Odd pinnate. Venation:            Reticulate. Leaf gloss: Moderately glossy.-   Disease resistance: Average resistance to mildew, black spot, and    Botrytis under normal glasshouse growing conditions in Fredensborg,    Denmark.

1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the miniature class,substantially as herein illustrated and described as a distinct andnovel rose variety due to its abundant, light apricot flowers, vigorousgrowth, compact habit, suitability for production from softwood cuttingsin pots, and durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitablefor distribution in the floral industry.